China, this mysterious oriental kingdom, is waiting for you to explore its profound culture, long history, and varieties. But before you pack and get ready to go, it is necessary for you to know the following:

Visa

All visitors must have a valid passport and visa for China. You should obtain a tourist visa from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate* in your home country. Tourist visas are usually good for two months, but can be extended for an extra month at the Foreigners Section of the public Security Bureau. If you want to continue traveling in China for more than three months, you will have to leave the country, get a new visa, and come back. It is not too much trouble to go to Hong Kong and apply for a new visa. Even though Hong Kong is now officially part of China, going there still counts as leaving the country. Whatever you do, don't stay in the country longer than your visa allows. The fine for overstaying your welcome is 500 yuan per day!

It is wise to carry your passport with you at all times, as you need it to register in hotels, buy plane tickets, check in the flights, and change money. If you lose your passport, you should report immediately to your embassy, as well as tell the local public Security Bureau.

*Embassy of People's Republic of China in: USA, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Switzerland, or other countries.

Taxi

China enjoys adequate taxi service. Taxi fares vary from city to city but they are always clearly marked on the taxi window. Most taxi drivers do not understand English. Non-Chinese speaking visitors are advised to have their destinations written down in Chinese and show the address to the cab driver. At the end of the ride, pay the amount shown on the meter-the only surcharge may be highway toll fees. Taxi drivers don't expect tips. You can ask for your receipt that will list the driver's identification and company telephone number. These are useful numbers to have if you've left something in the cab or wish to lodge a complaint. Instead of taking a taxi that is parking and waiting for passengers near the tourist attractions (if so, you can be overcharged), it is better to stop a taxi that is driving on street.


Climate and Clothing

Average Temperatures (Centigrade/Fahrenheit) in Major Cities in China

CITY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
Beijing -4.1
25		 -1.6
29		 4.9
41		 13.6
57		 20.0
68		 25.2
77		 27.9
82		 26.6
80		 20.3
69		 12.7
55		 4.2
40		 -2.2
28
Chengdu 5.5
42		 7.4
45		 11.7
53		 16.7
62		 20.9
70		 23.6
75		 25.3
78		 24.9
77		 21.2
70		 16.7
62		 11.4
53		 7.1
45
Chongqing 7.5
46		 9.1
48		 13.8
57		 18.4
65		 21.8
71		 24.7
77		 28.3
83		 28.3
83		 23.4
74		 18.4
65		 13.6
57		 9.1
48
Datong -11.0
12		 -7.4
19		 0
32		 8.5
47		 15.7
60		 19.9
68		 21.8
71		 20.0
68		 14.4
58		 7.5
45		 -1.4
29		 -8.8
16
Guangzhou 13.2
56		 14.1
58		 17.8
64		 22.0
72		 25.6
78		 27.4
81		 28.7
84		 28.5
83		 27.1
81		 23.8
75		 19.3
67		 15.1
59
Guilin 7.8
46		 9.0
48		 12.9
55		 18.5
65		 23.0
73		 26.2
79		 28.1
83		 27.8
82		 25.5
78		 20.5
69		 15.2
59		 10.2
50
HongKong 15.8
60		 15.9
61		 18.5
65		 22.2
72		 25.9
79		 27.8
82		 28.8
84		 28.4
83		 27.6
81		 25.2
77		 21.4
70		 17.6
64
Kunming 7.9
46		 10.0
50		 13.2
56		 16.6
62		 19.1
67		 19.6
67		 19.7
67		 19.0
66		 17.2
63		 14.6
58		 11.1
52		 8.0
46
Lhasa -2.1
28		 0.9
34		 4.5
40		 8.1
46		 11.8
53		 15.7
60		 15.3
59		 14.4
58		 12.7
55		 8.2
46		 2.1
36		 -1.6
29
Luoyang 0.4
33		 2.7
37		 8.4
47		 15.4
59		 21.2
70		 26.3
79		 27.3
81		 26.0
79		 21.1
70		 15.3
59		 8.3
47		 2.3
36
Sanya 21.2
70		 22.2
72		 24.2
76		 26.6
79		 28.3
83		 28.5
83		 28.5
83		 28.0
82		 27.3
81		 26.1
79		 24.2
76		 21.9
71
Shanghai 4.7
40		 8.2
46		 13.4
56		 18.5
65		 22.9
73		 27.2
81		 27.5
82		 24.1
76		 18.8
66		 12.8
55.0		 6.9
44		 4.0
39
Urumqi -13.9
7		 -11.6
11		 -1.8
29		 9.8
50		 16.9
62		 21.8
71		 24.2
76		 22.7
73		 16.7
62		 7.6
46		 -3.1
26		 -11
12
Xian -0.5
31		 2.5
37		 8.4
47		 14.6
59		 19.6
67		 25.0
77		 26.4
80		 24.8
77		 19.0
66		 13.3
56		 6.3
43		 0.7
33
CITY JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC

 

Online weather forcast: Weather in China

Business Hours

Offices in China are generally open from 08:30-17:00, with a lunch break of about an hour. Government stipulated workdays are from Monday to Friday. Shops generally open at 09:00and close between 19:00 and 21:00 and are open on weekends and holidays. Offices are usually closed on public holidays including New Year's Day, Spring Festival (the Chinese New Year), when most Chinese take 7 days off for Labor Day on May 1 and National Day on October 1, which results in flows of hundreds of millions of people throughout the country.


Money & Exchange

The official currency in China is the Renminbi (RBM) (i.e. people's currency). The basic unit is yuan (like dollar), also known as "kuai" (like buck). Paper currency comes in 1, 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100 yuan notes. There are also jiao and fen, but these are rarely used as their purchasing power is exactly zero.

You can exchange money or cash traveler's checks at most banks, and hotels always have a money exchange counter. To change money, you have to have your passport at hand. The exchange rate* is the same throughout China. To change RMB back into your home currency, you must retain the exchange slips that are given to you at the bank or money exchange counter.

Online convertion: Currency Converter


Credit cards

Major credit cards such as Master Card, Visa, JCB and American Express can be used in hotels or large department stores. Credit cards cannot be used in small restaurants or small convenience stores. They can also be cashed in main offices of Bank of China, or from an ATM with the corresponding credit card signs.


Counterfeit Money

When people receive 100 or 50 note, they always check it in China. The ways to identify phony money are by the color, the watermark, and the texture on paper. The color of RMB notes is hard to imitate, and counterfeit bills are usually too fuzzy, that is, the images and colors are not so sharp. The watermark on counterfeit money is also not clear. Fake note is not as strong or as clangorous when wobbled. For 100 and 50 notes, the number in the low left corner can change color if you switch the angle you look at it.


Mobile Phone

You can bring your tri-band phone from home and it'll work with the Chinese networks, though any calls you make will be considered long-distance. A cheaper (but maybe complicated) option is to acquire a local telephone number. To do so, simply buy a SIM card, and insert it with your phone (don't forget to replace it with your original card when you go home). Once you have a local number, purchase a prepaid calling card of RMB 50 or 100, and dial 13800138000 (for China Mobile) or another number as indicated to charge it into your SIM card. Prepaid cards are sold in cell phone shops, convenience stores and newsstands. Note: if you buy SIM card in 1 city, you must buy prepaid calling card in the same city.


Electricity

The voltage in China is 220 volts. Most luxury hotels have built in converters in bathrooms for shavers, hair dryers, etc. Otherwise you can rent a converter from the room service for free.


Water

No tap water is drinkable in most cities in China. There is always an electrical pot in the room, which you can use to boil tap water and drink. Bottled mineral water is widely available in all stores and sometimes provided free by the hotel.


Chinese Weights & Measures

The metric system is used in China, though Chinese measures are still used. The Chinese jin, which is equal to half a kilogram, is used by street venders. The Chinese li is 500 meters, equal to half kilometer. (In order to make it easy to remember, the numbers are estimated.)

1 foot = 30 centimeters 1 centimeter = 0.4 inch
1 mile = 1.6 kilometers 1 meter = 1 yard
1 sq foot = 0.1 sq meter 1 kilometer = 0.6 mile
1 acre = 0.4 hectare 1 hectare = 2.5 acres
1 British gallon = 4.5 litters 1 sq kilometer = 0.4 sq mile
1 U.S. gallon = 3.8 litters 1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds
1 pound = 0.45 kilograms
1 ounce = 30 grams
'F (Fahrenheit) = °C X1.8+32 °C(Celsius or Centigrade) = ('F-32) / 1.8


Emergency Number

Police: 110, Fire: 119, Ambulance: 120.


Tips, Service Charges &Tax

Tips are not expected for most services. Many mid-range and high-end restaurants and hotels include a service fee in the bill-so tipping is not expected and may even be refused of you try; exceptions to this rule include hotel porters and tour guides who gladly appreciate them. Taxes are included in the stated prices.

Some useful links: